ROCK Robotic’s third generation LiDAR

Read or listen to all of the headlines in one place: excerpts from the DRONELIFE drone news of the week ending April 28, 2023.  Click on the titles below for the full story.

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ROCK Robotic, a developer of professional survey-grade LiDAR technology, has announced the launch of the R3 and R3 PRO systems, its latest in LiDAR mapping solutions. The R3 product line incorporates advanced hardware components within a lightweight, integrated 3D point cloud collection tool. The R3 is an intuitive, end-to-end LiDAR solution that will integrate into ROCK Robotic’s comprehensive LiDAR approach.

Drone Detection: AeroDefense Launches Low Cost, Low Profile Remote ID Receiver [VIDEO]

AeroDefense has announced Remote ID integration for its AirWarden™ drone and pilot detection system, as well as the new AirWarden Remote ID Receiver: a compact and affordable Remote ID broadcast receiver. Under the Federal Aviation Administration’s Remote ID rule, flying drones are required to broadcast identification and location information that can be received by anyone. Newly manufactured drones are currently required to comply with this rule, while existing drones will need to do so by September 2023.

Elsight and DroneUp: Connectivity to Achieve “Six Nines” Availability

In a recent case study, connectivity solution providers Elsight outline their relationship with drone service providers DroneUp.  Download the full case study here.   DroneUp is the drone delivery service provider for Walmart.  With delivery hubs in six states, including: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Utah and Virginia and Texas, DroneUp has made drone delivery available at 34 stores in 23 cities across the U.S.

Northern Plains UAS Test Site, Vantis Will Deploy for Flood Recovery in North Dakota

In response to Gov. Doug Burgum’s emergency declaration for spring flooding, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) has begun preparations to support statewide emergency relief efforts.   The NPUASTS manages Vantis, North Dakota’s unmanned aircraft system (UAS) beyond visual line of site network at the Grand Sky Business Park near Grand Forks. The NPUASTS will provide assistance with recovery efforts via flood level monitoring, community awareness tools and a 24/7 Mission Network and Operations Center (MNOC).

Skydio AI-Empowered Drone Self Navigates in Flight Over Sydney Harbor, with First Deployment of Skydio Dock in Australia

From Sydney Harbour’s Goat Island, an AI enabled drone launched from a docking station, maneuvering around buildings and pylons before detecting the Harbour Bridge in the foreground.   This marked the first occasion in which the Skydio Dock, an ultra smart docking station, had been deployed in Australia. The launch was carried out by US drone manufacturer Skydio, alongside Australian RPAS training leader Aviassist, as part of the Sydney Dialogue summit demonstrating new technologies.

Acting FAA Administrator to Step Down This Summer

Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen has announced that he intends to step down from the position this summer.   The announcement comes shortly after Denver Airport CEO Phillip Washington, President Biden’s first nominee for the position, withdrew from the appointment process at the end of last month over questions about his level of experience in the aviation industry.

DJI Mavic 3 Pro Released Today! Triple Camera System

Drone and camera technology leader DJI has introduced the Mavic 3 Pro, a flagship drone featuring a triple camera system with multiple focal lengths.  Featuring the Mavic’s Hasselblad camera and two tele cameras, the drone offers a 43-minute maximum flight time, as well as DJI’s signature Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing and 15km HD Video Transmission.

Protecting Drones from Jamming Attacks: infiniDome Raises $9 Million in Series A

Anti-jamming solutions provider infiniDome has closed $9M in a Series A funding round led by South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace, alongside Honeywell Ventures and Next Gear Ventures. This funding will support the deployment of infiniDome’s GPSdome2 to major defense forces such as US DoD, Israeli Defense prime, South Korean Army (ROK armed forces), and Indian armed forces.

Public Safety Drone Review, May 2! Teledyne FLIR, Thermal Imaging and SIRAS

Don’t miss the May 2 episode of the Public Safety Drone Review, presented by DRONERESPONDERS and DRONELIFE, with guest Kelly Brodbeck from Teledyne FLIR!  The Public Safety Drone Review is a new monthly resource for the public safety community.  This free event will be held live on May 2, 2023 at 3pm EST: and on the first Tuesday afternoon of each month going forward.  Register here for the live webcast, or watch later on the DRONELIFE TV YouTube channel.

How Do You Convince Developers to Build Vertiport Infrastructure? A “Vertiport in a Box” Might be the Answer.

It’s a chicken and egg scenario – which comes first, the vertiport or the passenger eVTOL business?  Who’s going to invest in the vertiport infrastructure required to get the business off the ground?  The vertiport version of a pre-fab tiny house could provide the answer.

VA Partnership Will Deliver Hypertension Medicine by Drone to Patients in Remote Communities

Riverside Health System has announced a partnership with DroneUp, Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA) at Old Dominion University (ODU), the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission, and the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) to start delivering medications to patients on the Eastern Shore and Tangier Island. Last year, the partnership submitted a medical drone delivery project to the U.S. Department of Transportation for funding support.

Drones for Energy and Power Utilities: Next Week’s ANRA Huddle

Don’t miss the first episode of the ANRA Huddle, Wednesday, May 3 at 3pm EST. First up in ANRA’s new webinar series: drones for energy and power utilities.  DRONELIFE Editor Miriam McNabb will  you moderate a panel of experts from The New York Power Authority (NYPA), ANRA Technologies, and leading drone manufacturer Skydio to discuss one of the most important sectors in the drone industry.  In this episode: integrating drones and software for inspection and monitoring power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure.

Blue sUAS, Green sUAS, NDAA-Compliant; A Panel of Experts Discuss the Controversy Over Security, as Unmanned Underground Returns!

Wednesday, May 3 at 4:00 pm EST.  Unmanned Underground is back, as host Randall Warnas takes on one of the most controversial topics in the industry today: Blue sUAS, Green sUAS, and what “secure platforms” really means.   The panel has been called “The Coachella of Public Safety” – it’s a list of experts and stakeholders that will provide insights from every perspective.  The event will be live streamed on YouTube: Please fill out the survey  to get automated notifications and submit questions that you would like addressed during the event on May 3rd.

Meet the Two Brothers Behind a Visionary Mapping Platform: SimActive Celebrates 20 Years with a New Version of Correlator 3D

This week, SimActive launches v10 of Correlator3D: a new, feature-rich and redesigned version of SimActive’s innovative mapping platform.   The company is also celebrating 20 years – a major achievement in any industry.  DRONELIFE spoke with brothers Philippe and Louis Simard, the visionary team behind a mapping product used by most governments in the world, oil and gas conglomerates, and drone mapping operations of any size.

Teal 2

Red Cat Launches the Teal 2: the Drone for Nighttime Ops

April 26, 2023 marks the official launch of military technology company Red Cat Holdings’ new military-grade sUAS, the Teal 2.  The drone will be on public display for the first time at the 2023 AAAA Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit in Nashville, Tennessee. Previously limited to early-adopters, the Teal 2 is newly available to order for military, government and commercial applications. The system is manufactured at Red Cat’s Salt Lake City-based factory.

Drone Cargo Delivery: University of Alaska to Build New Hangar for Base of Operations

The Nenana Municipal Airport in Alaska is set to become the site of a new 4,800-square-foot hangar for the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI).   The University of Alaska Board of Regents has approved $3.3 million for the hangar, which will serve as a base for drone cargo delivery test flights between Fairbanks and Nenana. The hangar will offer full-time space for drone storage and maintenance and testing of equipment.

Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry.  Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.

TWITTER:@spaldingbarker

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